Christopher John Koch

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 8.1.1.00: Australian Writing and Culture.

Christopher John Koch was born of an Anglican father and of a
Catholic mother on July 16th 1932 in Hobart, Tasmania, a birthplace
he describes in Crossing the Gap as “a sailors” town; a
convict town”. He grew up with his brother Philip in the small
suburb of Newtown, and later in Lenah Valley, where his sister
Susan was born. Koch’s Anglo-Irish and German lineage has
influenced his Australian novels in terms of themes, characters and
setting. Peter Carey’s statement that Australians are “historically
both oppressors and victims” is clearly illustrated by Koch’s two
Irish great-great-grandmothers: one, Jane Devereux, married Captain
James Hurburgh whose duty was to pursue convicts who …

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Citation:
Vernay, Jean-François. "Christopher John Koch".
The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 December 2004
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2549, accessed 31 March 2015.]

2549Christopher John Koch1Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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